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Contemporary Books:

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry

by Gabrielle Zevin

A. J. Fikry’s life is not at all what he expected it to be. His wife has died, his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history, and now his prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, has been stolen. Slowly but surely, he is isolating himself from all the people of Alice Island, including Amelia, the lovely and idealistic sales rep who keeps on taking the ferry, refusing to be deterred. Even the books in his store have stopped holding pleasure for him. These days, A.J. can only see them as a sign of a world that is changing too rapidly. And then a mysterious package appears at the bookstore. It’s a small package, but large in weight. It’s that unexpected arrival that gives Fikry the opportunity to make his life over, the ability to see everything anew. It doesn’t take long for the locals to notice the change overcoming A.J. and for Amelia to see her curmudgeonly client in a new light, as everything twists again into a version of A.J.’s life that he didn’t see coming.

Tuesday, January 8, 2019

Little Fires Everywhere

by Celeste Ng

In Shaker Heights, Cleveland, everything is planned - from the layout of the roads, to the colors of the houses, to the successful lives its residents will lead. And no one embodies this spirit more than Elena Richardson, whose guiding principle is playing by the rules. Enter Mia Warren, an enigmatic artist and single mother, who comes to town with her teenaged daughter Pearl, and rents a house from the Richardsons. Soon Mia and Pearl become more than tenants: all four Richardson children are drawn to the mother-daughter pair. But Mia carries with her a disregard for the status quo that threatens to upend this orderly enclave. When friends of the Richardsons attempt to adopt a Chinese-American baby, a custody battle erupts that dramatically divides the town - and puts Mia and Elena on opposing sides. Suspicious of Mia and her motives, Elena is determined to uncover the secrets in Mia's past. But her obsession will come with devastating costs: the little fires everywhere that eventually torch the family home.

Tuesday, February 12, 2019

Southernmost

by Silas House

In the aftermath of a flood that washes away much of a small Tennessee town, evangelical preacher Asher Sharp offers shelter of two gay men. In doing so, he starts to see his life anew - and risks losingeverything: his wife, locked inot her religious prejudices; his congregation, which shuns Asher after he delivers a passionate sermon in defense of tolerance; and his young son, Justin, caught in the middle of what turns into a bitter custody battle. With no way out but ahead, Asher takes Justin and flees to Key West, where he hopes to find his brother, Luke, whom he'd turnedagainst years ago after Luke came out. And it is there, at the southernmost point of the country, that Asher and Justin discover a new way of thinking about the world, and a new wayof understanding love. " House's tale will strike a chord with those who have taken their own arduous path to acceptance, just as it may bring enlightenment to thos who are trying to understand the experience of others." (Library Journal)

IFor more information about the Contemporary Books Discussion Group, contact Sue Patterson, 734-453-0750, ext. 241, or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.